Method of inserting fasteners



March 4, 1930. is OKIN 1,748, 51

METHOD OF INSERTING FASTENERS Original Filed 001;. 9. 1922 Fig.1. Fig.2.Fig.3.

Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I SYLVESTER LEOGOOKIN, OF QUINGY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERYCORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEYApplication filed October 9, 1922, Serial No. 598,358. Renewed April 24,1926:

This invention relates to methods of inserting fasteners andparticularly to methodsof inserting lacing devices, such as eyelets,through one or more of several la ers of ma- 5 terial and clenching theends of t eir barrels between adjacent layers of the material.

When eyelets are so inserted in the manufacture of shoes the operationis known as blind eyeleting or invisible eyeleting. In blind ineyeleting the eyelet is inserted through the outer layer so that theflange of the eyelet is visible in the finished shoe. In invisibleeyeleting the eyelet is inserted in the inner layer, that is, the liningor facingfand the end of the barrel is clenched between the outer layerand the adjacent layer, which is usually the stay material between theouter layer and the inner layer. Accordingly, the eyelet is not visibleon the exterior of the shoe.

It is characteristic of both of these operations that the eyelet isinserted through one or more layers of the material from the sideopposite to that from which the setting tool enters and that the end ofthe barrel of the 23 eyelet is clenched between adjacent layers of thematerial. At the present time most of the work of thischaracter isinvisible eyeleting and in that work very troublesome practicaldifficulties and disadvantages have developed. 3') In my effortstoremedy these conditions I have invented this novel method.Accordingly, the improved method will be set forth with referenceparticularly to its application to invisible eyeleting, although. inmany of 33 its aspects it is not so limited.

In the operation of invisible eyeleting, as heretofore commonlypractised, the setting tool is inserted through the outer layer of upperleather and through the other layers,

43 usually comprisingan'eyelet stay of reinforc- 'ing material and alining or a facing of thinner leather than the upper leather. It isessential to the proper performance of that operation that the end ofthe eyelet barrel 4 shall pass through the inner layers of material,usually, as above stated, the linin or the facing and thestay, and shallbe clenc ed between the outer la er and the stay. This requires thatbefore t e eyelet is clenched the outer layer must be forced past thesetting shoulder of the setting tool and such forcing of the outer layerpast the shoulder of the tool must be effected by the eyelet. fore beenthe universal practice in this operation to use eyelets which areformed, incic lentally to the Well-known methods by which they aremanufactured, with an edge at the end of the barrel which during theoperation of drawing the barrel is made much thinner than the normalthicknessof the material of which the eyelet is formed, and this ed e issharp and ragged. It has frequently appened that the outer layer was notforced completely or properly past the setting shoulder and in suchinstances the sharpedge of the eyelet barrel has cut into and mutilatedthe inner face of the outer layer of upper fiaalther and weakened thematerial about the o e. been improperly clenched or has failedaltogether to clench. For example, it has sometimes happened that theend of the eyelet barrel passed the setting shoulder of the setting toolwithout clenching and extended upwardly through the lacing hole. Thishas necessitated the removal of the eyelet and the insertion of anothereyelet. At other times the eyelet prongs instead of clenching betweenthe upper leather and the stay pro'ected into the substance of the upperleat er, being .clearly visible from the exterior of the shoe.

When this happened, if the work .could be repaired at all and if thestandard of quality admitted, it wasnecessary to pound the upper leatherat and around the lacing hole to flatten down the eyelet and work theleather toward the hole in an attempt to conceal the poor clenching.Much more frequently the prongs of the eyelet have caught in the fibresof the flesh side of the upper leather, so that It has hereto- Often theend of the eyelet barrel has blesome that it has been practicallyimpossible to produce satisfactory work.

In setting eyelets in accordance with the novel method of this inventiona setting tool .is inserted on the outer side of thelayers of material,and there is then advanced into contact with the work on the other sideof the layers of material an eyelet having the end of its barreldeformed or otherwise especially shaped to provide effective engagementwit the face of the stock. The eyelet herein shown is formed with theedge at the end of the barrel thickened so that the edge is thicker thanthe material of which the barrel is made so as to engage the surface ofthe stock at points removed from but adjacent to the lacing hole as wellas substantially at the edge of the hole. In the exemplification of the'method herein set forth with reference to its application to conditionscommonly encountered in the manufacture of shoes, the thickened end ofthe eyelet barrel is forced against the setting shoulder of the tooluntil the resistance which the stock offers-to the passage of thethickened end of the eyelet barrel the outer layer, the end of theeyelet barrel having meanwhile been expanded by the setting tool so thatthe external diameter of the end of the eyelet barrel is maintainedgreater than the diameter of the hole in the outer layer of thematerial; the thickened end of the eyelet barrel is then thrust againstthe outer layer and forces that layer completely past the shoulder ofthe tool and in the expansion of the eyelet during the setting operationthe thickened end will be forced outwardly between the upper layer andthe adjacent layer. Finally the setting of the eyelet will be completedwith the thickened end clenched between the upper layer and theadjacentlayer.

lhe practice of the method of this invention has overcome thedifficulties heretofore encountered in invisible eyeleting, since it hasbeen demonstrated that under the various conditions obtaining in suchwork this method can be relied upon to set eyelets properly between theouter layer and an adjacent layer the material and pushes the materialtoward hole in the outer layer. Furthermore, in the practice of thismethod it is practicable to .employ eyelets having smaller entering endsthan have heretofore been used in invisible eyeletin and to employ asetting tool having a pi 6t and setting shoulder correspondingly reducedin diameter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which exemplify the practice ofthe present invention in a preferred manner,

Figs. 1 to 7 are sectional views on an en la'rgedv scale illustratingselected stages in the setting of an invisible eyelet in a shoe upperaccording to the present novel method; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view on a still larger scale showing an eyeletof a type which may be used in practicing this invention.

In the accompanying drawings a shoe upper in which invisible eyelets areto be inserted is illustrated as madeu of an outer layer-10 of upperleather, an inner layers consistingof alining or facing 12 of leatherand an eyelet stay 14 of woven fabric.

In setting eyelets in accordance with the novel method of this inventionas exemplified in the drawings, a setting tool 16 is inserted from theouter side of the layers of the shoe upper. Conveniently, and as hereinillustrated in Figure 1, this may be a combined punch and set,co-operating with a punch .block 18 to punch the lacing hole in theusual manner. In using such a combined tool, after the lacing hole hasbeen punched, the setting tool and the work are moved relatively to thepunch block and an eyelet 20 supported u on a lower set, 22 having aspindle 24. is

a vanced intov engagement with the work.

on the other side of the layers of material, the spindle 24 of the lowerset alining with the setting tool 16 as shown in Fig. 2. The eyelet usedhas the end of its barrel deformed or otherwise especially shaped toprovide effective engagement with the face of the stock. Theillustrated'eyelet 20 is provided with a tapering barrel 26 having itsend deformed to provide a thickened edge 28 and its barrel is scored asshown at 30 to facilitate the bursting of the eyelet barrel as it isset; It will be observed that the end of the eyelet barrel engages theface of the stock at points outside of and removed from but adjacent tothe hole in the stock as well as substantially at the edge of the hole.

Afterthe eyelet has been advanced into the position shown in Fig. 2 theend of the eyelet barrel is forced against the inner layer of thematerial, through relative movement of the upper and lower sets, therebypushing the material along the pilot 32 of'the setting tool 16 until'theresistance which the material offers to the passage of the eyelet barrelis overcome. Then the end of the eyelet barrel is forced through thehole in the inner la ers, first through the lining or facing (Fig. 3%and then through the eyelet stay (Fig. 4) into engagement with the layernearest to the setting shoulder of the I 01, that is the outer layer ofupper leathe the .e elet barrel meanwhile being expanded so tl iat theexternal diameter of its end is maintained greater than the diameter ofthe hole in the upper leather. Then the thickened end 5 of the eyeletbarrel is thrust against the upper leather and forces that layercompletely past the setting shoulder 34. An abut- -ment indicated at 36may conveniently be used for preventing the upper leather from beingpushed too far past the'setting shoulder of the tool. During furtherrelative movement of the upper and lower sets the eyelet barrel bursts,the prongs of the barrel are forced outwardly and then downwardlybetween the upper leather and the eyelet stay, and finally the clenchingof the eyelet between those layers is completed. Fig. 5 of the drawingsillustrates the condition of the work when the thickened end of the eye-3 let barrel haspushed the upper leather past the setting shoulder andhas commenced to burst, the ends of the prongs having started outbetween the layers of material, while Fig. 6 shows the final stage ofthe clenching operation and Fig. 7 the completed work.

In the foregoing description of the novel method it has been stated thatthe thickened end of the eyelet barrel breaks through the hole in thelining or facing and in the eye- 40. let stay and is thrust against theinner face of the upper leather thus forcing the upper leathercompletely past the setting shoulder. This is what usually takes placebut the conditions may be such, for example if the upper leather iscomparatively soft, that the thrust of the thickened end of the eyeletbarrel transmitted through the substance ofthe lining or facing and theeyelet stay may push the upper leather completely past the 5 ,settingshoulder before the thickened end of the eyelet barrel breaks throughthe lining or facing and the eyelet stay. In such a case the thrustofthe thickened end of the eyelet barrel ultimately pushes the upperleather past the setting shoulder by acting upon it" indirectly insteadof by direct en agement with the inner face ofthe upper leat er.

It has been found in the practice of the novel method ofthis inventionthat the heretofore very troublesome tendency of the ends of the eyeletprongs to pass into the hole in the upper leather during the settingoperation, to embed themselves in the substance of the upper leather, orto catch in .the fiber of the flesh side of the upper leather isobviated with a very great improvement in the resulting eyeleting.Moreover, this method permits the use of an eyelet having the usualrelatively large flange 38 with a good sized opening therein and abarrel having an unusually small and smooth entering end, thuspermitting the use of a setting tool havin a smaller p lot and a smallersetting shoulder than it has heretofore been practicable to employ. Thisproduces lacing holes-in the upper leather of the small size demanded bythe trade, while at the same time roviding openings in the clenchedeyelets o ample size for the insertion of a lacing.

The manipulations of the eyelets, the work i and the setting toolrequired for the practice of this method may be carried out by a machinesuch as that illustrated in United States Letters Patent 1,205,277,ranted Nov.

21, 1916, on an application bf alter Shaw. However, the novel method ofthe present invention is not limited to the use of a machine having acombined punch and set, as shown in that patent, nor is it dependentupon the use of any particular apparatus. It should be noted, moreover,that in many of its aspects the invention is not limited to the settingof invisible eyelets and the claims should not be so construed except sofar as their terms may require.

The eyelet which is illustrated in the present exemplification of thenovel method of this invention is not herein claimedbut is claimed in my00- ending application Serial No. 658,991, filed ugust 2a, 1923.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The improved method of setting eyelets in a plurality of layers ofmaterial which comprises inserting a setting tool on one side of thelayers of material, advancing an eyelet having a barrel thickened atitsend to bring the thickened end of the eyelet barrel into engagementwith the material on the other saidlayer'thus forcing that layercomplete-. 'ly past said setting shoulder, and clenching the thickenedend of the eyelet barrel between said layer and an adjacent layer of thematerial.

2. The improved method of setting eyelets in a plurality of layers ofmaterial which "comprises inserting the pilot of a setting tool on oneside of the layers of material, advancing an eyelet having a barrelthickened at its end to bring said thickened end of the eyelet barrelinto engagement with the material on the other side outside of andadjacent to the hole in the material in which the eyelet is tothickenedend of the eyelet barrel through the layers of material into engagementwith the layer nearest to the setting shoulder of the tool, meanwhileexpanding the e elet barrel so that the external diameter 0 the end ofthe eyelet barrel is maintained greater than the diameter of the hole inthe layer nearest to the setting shoulder of the tool, and thrusting thethickened end of the eyelet barrel against that layer and therebyforcing that layer completely past said setting shoulder.

3. The improved method of setting eyelets in a shoe upper whichcomprises inserting the pilot of a setting tool through the outer layer,the reinforcingmaterial and the facing of said upper, advancing aneyelet having the end of its barrel deformed to provide effectiveengagement with the material of the shoe upper to bring the deformed endof the eyelet barrel into engagement with said" facing at points removedfrom but adjacent to the hole in the upper through which the pilot ofsaid setting tool passes, forcing the deformed end of the eyelet barrelagainst the facing and thereby pushing the upper materials along thepilot of the setting tool until the resistance which the upper materialsofier to the passage of the deformed end of the eyelet barrel throughthe facing and reinforcing material is overcome, advancing the eyeletbarrel through the facing and reinforcing material into engagement withthe inner face of the outer layer at points removed from but adjacent tosaid hole, then pushing the outer layer completely past the settingshoulder of the tool by forcing the deformed end of the eyelet barrelagainst the inner face of the outer layer, and clenching the deformedend of'the eyelet barrel between said outer layer and' an adjacentlayerof the upper.

4. The improved method of setting eyelets in a plurality of layers ofmaterial which comprises inserting a setting tool on one side of thelayers of material, advancing into en gagement with the other side ofthe material an eyelet having its barrel shaped to provide effectiveengagement of the end of the eyelet barrel with the material at pointsremoved from but adjacent to the hole in the material in which thesetting tool is inserted, forcing the end of the eyelet barrel againstthe layers of material and thereby pushing the layers of material towardthe setting shoulder of the tool, advancing the eyelet barrel throughthe layers of material into engagement with the layer nearest tween saidlayer and an adjacent layer of the material;

5. That im rovement in methods of inserting barreled asteners in aplurality of layers of'material and clenching the ends of the fastenerbarrels between adjacent layers of the material which'is characterizedby the.

fact that, during relative movement of a fastener and a setting tool,the end of the fastener barrel is forced against'the material at pointsremoved from but adjacent to a hole in the material and therebyultimately pushes the la er of material nearest to the setting shoul erpast said shoulder. A

6. The improved method of inserting eyelets in a plurality of layers ofmaterial which comprises insertmg a setting tool on one side of thelayers of material, advancing an eyelet having the end of its barreldeformed to provide effective engagement with the face of the materialto bring the end of the barrel 7 into engagement with the other side ofthe material at points removed from but adjacent to the hole in whichthe eyelet is to be inserted, imparting to the eyelet and the settingtool the relative movement necessary to effect the setting of the eyeletand in the course of such relative movement forcing the deformed end ofthe eyelet barrel against the material, thereby pushing the materialtoward the setting shoulder of the tool and ultimately forcing the'layernearest to the setting shoulder of the tool past said settin shoulder.

7. The improved metho of inserting fasteners in a plurality of layers ofmaterial which comprises inserting a setting tool on one side of thematerial, advancing a fastener having a barrel thickened at its enteringend to bring said thickened end into enga ement with the material on theother side, orcing the thickened end of the fastener barrel against thematerial, thus pushing the material toward the setting shoulder of thetool, ultimately forcing the layer nearest to the settin shoulder of thetool past said setting shoul er, and clenching the thickened end of thefastener barrel between adjacent layers of the material. v p

8. The improved method of inserting eyelets in a plurality of layersofmaterial which comprises inserting a setting tool on one side of thelayers of material, advancing an eyelet having the end of its barrelshaped to provide effective engagement with the face, of the material tobring the end of the barrel into engagement with the other side of thematerial both at points removed from the hole in which the eyelet is tobe inserted and at points at the edge of the hole, imparting to theeyelet and the setting tool the relative movement necessa to efi'ect thesetting of the eyelet, and in t e course of such relative movementforcing the end of the eyelet barrel against the material, therebypushing the material toward the setting shoulder of the tool, forcin thelayer nearest to the setting shoulder 0 the tool past said settinshoulder, and clenching the eyelet barrel %etween adjacent layers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SYLVESTER LEO GOOKIN.

